AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s state parks division says it sold more park passes in 2012 than any year in the history of the 77-year-old state park system.
For the year, the Division of Parks and Public Lands says it sold 10,763 vehicle passes and 1,354 individual passes good for day use at most of the state’s parks and historical sites.
Officials say 2013 park passes are now available for purchase online. They cost $35 for an individual pass, which allows access only to the pass holder, or $70 for a vehicle pass, which allows entry to the parks for all people in a vehicle.
You’d think BDN’s AP reporter would have included a link since “available for purchase online” !
My guess is that it was a press release from the BPL….it is surprising that they didn’t supply a link…
Are these the same parks that LePage wants to sell off to the highest bidder?
No, actually they are the close-to-home parks that people choose for their vacations nowadays because they have been robbed blind by the tax and spend democrat jugernaut…
People won’t find it so nice when they enter a park only to find a sign saying “This Maine State Park is brought to you by XYZ Corporation” or when they virtually close the park to the public so they can put on a benefit for The Americans for Prosperity.
Or Irving buys them and opens mining operations.
At least one of them is, Fort Knox in Prospect. Last I heard they are using the “lease” give away of Fort Knox as a test case before leasing out more of our parks. I interpret this to mean that if the LePage administration gets away with giving away Fort Knox more leasing of our parks to private organizations, perhaps even corporations, will follow. Those involved continue to bristle at use of the expression “give away” but the term is indeed what this lease is in all but actually signing over the deed. The only park the LePage administration has publicly announced that they will not put on the auction block for leasing is Baxter. When I questioned the former Maine State Attorney General, Mr. Schneider, about the legality of leasing our parks without legislative approval one of his staff got back to me saying that “under some circumstances” it is indeed legal for LePage to go ahead with this leasing process. Imagine that, our governor can give away, er lease, property owned by the citizens of Maine! The AG staffer refused to go into the details of what constituted “under some circumstances” so I’m waiting for our new AG to take office before asking the same question once again. I am hopeful that the LePage give away lease is found to be illegal and due process will prevail. There will be more information coming from me on all of this shortly after the holidays.
Hopefully, none of our state parks have precious metals or gems underground…..otherwise, Irving will buy them all and start mining.
As one who has been visiting Fort Knox since the 1960’s (and a true fan of Fort Knox) I have nothing but good to say of the work the Friends group have done over the years to restore/reopen Fort Knox. The only obvious changes I have seen regarding the operations at Fort Knox this summer are: 1. the uniforms are different (and no…Mr True Friend who is always talking about banners and such…there are no STP or Pepsi patches on their uniforms) 2. the grounds are better maintained. I noticed in a recent “report card” grading Maine State Parks that their grade dropped this year….apparently Fort Knox is “bucking” this trend….hmmm what could be the reason?
Trust me jtotten, there will be signs. I know Leon, Weston, and the whole crew too well to seriously believe they will miss any opportunity to raise money. As a matter of fact, not conjecture like your point, the lease specifically gives the FOFK the right to do this. This very provision was a matter of debate amongst the participants in this give away. Read the lease, it’s available online, and then let me hear what you have to say about this. I understand your desire to support a group which has benefited Fort Knox. But you are wrong to suggest that the citizens of Maine should give Fort Knox (or the other state parks) to ANY private group just because they helped to maintain public property. In simple terms, it doesn’t belong to the FOFK, it belongs to the citizens of Maine and we need to take both ownership and responsibility for this heritage site as well as the other state owned parks in Maine.
I challenge the FOFK to publicly publish the gross income from gate receipts at Fort Knox for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012 (post lease). Don’t fudge the numbers, gate receipts, in gross not net, from those years without any manipulation of the numbers (for instance the receipts for the bridge)!